Although tensions in the region have reached their peak, Azerbaijan continues its balanced policy regarding conflicts. Nevertheless, on March 5, Iran committed a terrorist act by launching a drone attack on Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan region.
Following the attack on Nakhchivan, President Ilham Aliyev stated that this incident was unacceptable and assessed Iran's attack as an open threat. It was emphasized that Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and sovereignty are a red line for our state.
Iran's drone threat against Azerbaijan was condemned by 40 countries and international organizations. At such a time, Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu, a member of the DEM party of the fraternal Turkish parliament and a deputy, took a different stance and tried to interpret the issue in another direction. His statements were met with strong reactions not only in Azerbaijan but also in fraternal Turkey.
Regarding the issue, Mehmet Ali Dim, a renowned Turkish journalist and Chairman of the Global Journalists Council, protested the campaign against Azerbaijan on his social media accounts. He stated that it raises questions about the nationality of individuals who display such a stance.
Considering the topicality of the subject, Modern.az website interviewed Mehmet Ali Dim.
- Could Iran's UAV attack on Nakhchivan lead to a further strengthening of security and defense cooperation between Azerbaijan and Turkey?
- Turkey always makes an effort for the fraternal state and fraternal nation. If Azerbaijan needs defense, Turkey is there; if Turkey needs defense, Azerbaijan is there. Such incidents, of course, further strengthen these relations we have built on the principle of “One nation, two states.”
- How do you evaluate the statements of Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu, a member of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM)?
- The opinions of that deputy belong solely to him. What he said does not reflect the views of the Turkish people, the Turkish state, or the public.
- In your opinion, what could be behind Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu's biased statement regarding Azerbaijan?
- Unfortunately, there is a group that does not want to accept that the foreign policy of the Azerbaijani state can differ from that of Turkey, and they are dissatisfied with the close Azerbaijan-Israel friendship. This group mostly consists of individuals close to radical Islamist and staunch nationalist views. They constitute a very small minority and never reflect the general opinion of the Turkish people, state, or public.
- Proceeding from this, we would like to ask, how strong is the impact of politicians' social media posts on interstate relations today?
- Although social media is a very powerful and important communication tool today, it in no way reflects the general view of states or nations. No social media post can be considered an official stance or the opinion of the state or nation, except for statements by the head of state of any country or official representatives of that country.
- Relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan are built on the principle of “One nation, two states.” Can such statements truly harm the relations between the two countries?
- There is a deeply rooted, indelible tradition of brotherhood and unity between Turkey and Azerbaijan, and it is not right to evaluate or distort these relations based on simple, minor crises.
- In your opinion, under whose instruction or guidance might Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu's statement have been made? What forces or circles stand behind it?
- It is possible that he was incited by radical Islamist circles and some individuals and groups with antisemitic tendencies. However, this represents a very small segment.
- Against the backdrop of increasing tensions in the region recently, how do you see the future of Iran-Azerbaijan relations?
- Azerbaijan has maintained normal relations with its neighbor Iran for many years. Although there have been minor crises at times, there has never been such a tension of war or armed conflict. I do not foresee such a possibility in the future either. More than 40 million Azerbaijani Turks live in Iran, and Azerbaijan is, of course, in the hearts of these people. It is gratifying that our Azerbaijani brothers work in high positions. Now, Iran's president is also Azerbaijani. I do not want to believe that these individuals would show hostility towards their homeland and nation.
- How does the Turkish media try to maintain balance in such sensitive regional issues?
- Unfortunately, although there are some dissenting voices in the Turkish media, these are very few and have been minimized. The vast majority of the Turkish media, however, believes that relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey will never be disrupted; on the contrary, they will strengthen further, and unity, solidarity, and cooperation will increase.
- In your opinion, can the discussions that emerged after the attack on Nakhchivan be considered a form of information warfare?
- Certainly. Such attacks also have negative impacts in terms of public opinion. Unfortunately, today, disinformation – false, incorrect, and deliberately misleading information – leads to such crises in many parts of the world.
